Person:William Read (1)

William Read
b.Abt 1587 England
  • HWilliam ReadAbt 1587 - Bef 1656
  • WMabel _____1605 - 1690
m. 1625
  1. Deacon George Reed1627 - 1705/06
  2. Ralph ReedAbt 1630 - 1712
  3. Justice REED1633 -
  4. Michaell Read1636 -
  5. Abigail Reed1638 -
  6. Israel ReedBef 1642 - 1711
  7. Sarah ReedBef 1646 - 1681
  8. Rebecca Read1647 - 1734
  9. _____ ReadEst 1649 -
Facts and Events
Name William Read
Unknown William Reade
Gender Male
Birth[4] Abt 1587 England
Marriage 1625 Englandto Mabel _____
Residence? 1635 Dorchester, Suffolk, Massachusetts, United States
Other? 14 Mar 1639 Freeman
Residence? 1648 Woburn, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States
Will? 9 Apr 1656
Death? Bef 31 Oct 1656 Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland, England

Origins

According to the Great Migration his origin is most likely Newcastle-upon-Tyne [not Brocket Hall, Hertfordshire] and it is stated that his parents are unknown. Based on his own disposition he was born about 1587. William came to New England, in the Defence in 1635, aged 48, with his wife Mabel, 30; George, 6; Ralph, 5; and Justus, 18 months [Hotten 106]. He was was freeman 14 Mar 1638/39 [MBCR 1:375]. He resided in Dorchester, removed to Scituate by 1642 [DChR 155], Roxbury by 1647, Woburn 1648. He returned to England permanently between 1648 and 1656, settling at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland.

References
  1.   Hudson, Charles, and Lexington Historical Society (Massachusetts). History of the town of Lexington, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, from its first settlement to 1868. (Boston, Massachusetts, United States: Houghton Mifflin, 1913)
    191.
  2.   The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society)
    Volume 52, Pages 52-53, 1898.
  3.   Savage, James. A Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England: Showing Three Generations of Those Who Came Before May, 1692, on the Basis of Farmer's Register. (Boston: Little, Brown, and Co, 1860-1862)
    3:519.

    READ, or REED: WILLIAM, Dorchester, came prob. in the Defence 1635, aged 48, with w. Mabel, 30; George, 6; Ralph, 5; and Justus, 18 mos. and had at D. Abigail, bapt. 30 Dec. 1638; was freem. 14 Mar. 1639; rem. prob. first to Rehoboth, or perhaps liv. at Woburn.

    RALPH, Woburn, s. of William of Dorchester, brought from Eng. by his f. in very early youth by w. Mary, d. of Anthony Pierce of Watertown, had William, b. 1658; John, 1660; Joseph; Daniel; Timothy, b. 14 Feb. 1666; David; and Jonathan.

  4. Anderson, Robert Charles; George F. Sanborn; and Melinde Lutz Sanborn. The Great Migration: Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635. (Boston, Massachusetts: NEHGS, 1999-2011)
    2:6:34.

    link
    WILLIAM READ
    BIRTH: About 1587 (aged 48 on 18 July 1635 [Hotten 106)).
    DEATH: Between 9 April 1656 (date of will) and 31 October 1656
    (probate of will).
    MARRIAGE: By about 1629 Mabel __ .
    COMMENTS: Sometime after 1648 William Read returned to England and settled at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, where he died in 1656, suggesting that this might have been his English origin prior to coming to New England. There are marriages at Newcastle for men named "William Rede," to "Barbary Carr" on 28 January 1622/3 and to "Ann Lawes" on 26 September 1626, so this is a possible origin for this immigrant, but far from proved.

    Israel Read had married Mary Kendall, daughter of Francis, and according to the custom of the time this would be sufficient for Mabel to call Francis brother.

  5.   William Reed's will.

    William Reed's will was as follows;

    The 9th daie of April 1656. My will is that my wife have three score pound for herself. Item, thirty pounds apiece to each of my four youngest children. More,
    that my wife have the household stuff and to dispose of it: that the three score pounds which is owing to me by Mr. William Breuton in New England be
    disposed of as followeth, if it can be got, viz., to my wife twenty pounds, to my four youngest children twenty pounds (that is five pounds apiece), to my three
    children that are married in New England, that is George, Ralph and Abigail, twenty pounds to be equally divided amongst them: that when any of the four
    youngest children die their portion be divided among the other three, that is if they die in their minority: forty pounds due from Mr. Killingworth, twenty
    pounds Mark Theaton of Black Callerton, thirty pounds from Mrs. Flora Hall, twenty pounds from Anthony Walker, twelve pounds, three pound in my wife's hand and five pound in Mr. Ogle's hand, forty pound more in the house; George Erington of Loughhouse and his son in law forth shillings, Gawan Anderson forty shillings; Mary Chicken als Watson four pound ten shillings and ten shillings in my wife's hand, is nine pound: more in the house

    twenty shillings in Commodotoes; in all makes nine score pounds.

    The mark of William Read

    Wit: William Cutter, the mark of Thomas Gibson.

    Commission issued 31 October 1656 unto Mabel Read, widow, the relict and
    principal legatary of the deceased, to administer &c. according to the tenor
    and effect of the said will &c.

  6.   Sewall, Samuel. The History of Woburn, Middlesex County, Mass. : from the Grant of Its Territory to Charlestown, in 1640, to the Year 1860; with a Memorial Sketch of the Author. (Boston: Wiggin and Lunt Publishers, 1868).

    "They took up their abode in Woburn, upon land sold Mr. Reed by Nicholas Davis. Their dwelling-house stood in a pasture, called the Baldwin Pasture, on the road from Kendall's mill to the Messrs. Duren. The pasture is now [1868] owned by them; and remains of Mr. Reed's cellar and well are still to be seen there. But, ere many years, William Reed and his wife Mabel returned to England. He died at Newcastle, upon Tyne, æt. 69; and not haveing appointed executors in his will, letters of administration were granted by Oliver Cromwell, the Portector, 31 Oct. 1656, to his widow, Mabel, who speedily returned with her four youngest children to New England; married Henry Summers, sen., of Woburn, 21 Nov. 1660; and, outliving him, died at the house of her son George, 5 [15?] Jun 1690, aged 85 years."

  7.   Threlfall, John B. (Brooks). Twenty-Six Great Migration Colonists to New England & their Origins. (Madison, Wisconsin: J.B. Threlfall, 1993)
    247-50.